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Honda Accord Crosstour a crossover that does not photograph well, but drives great
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A picture can lie. The Honda Accord Crosstour is a handsome vehicle in the flesh.
Don’t believe what you may have read elsewhere. The Honda Accord Crosstour is not the ugly stepchild that has been portrayed in the automotive media. This new crossover utility vehicle must be a vehicle that does not photograph well because it’s pretty handsome in the flesh. I see a good-looking version of the Infiniti FX35 when I look at the Crosstour.
This could become a hot seller for Honda simply because it has the Accord name attached to it (but interestingly Honda only plans to sell 20,000 models a year). Anything Accord has sold pretty well over the years. However, I’m going to call it the Crosstour going forward. I’m not falling for the whole name game.
The Crosstour is a five-door, five-passenger premium CUV. Note that Honda is not calling it a luxury crossover for a couple of reasons: its luxury line is Acura and luxury crossover utility vehicles have suffered lackluster sales recently. Premium CUV good; luxury CUV bad. (Grammar bad, I know.)
There is new technology and exclusive equipment that comes with the new Crosstour. According to Honda, it is:
- Automatic transmission lateral G-force gear hold control (a Honda brand first)
- Automatic RPM rev-matching when downshifting (a Honda brand first). This is a good feature because it eliminates those herky-jerky shifts that can happen when an automatic transmission downshifts.
- Front shock absorbers with internal rebound springs
- New type of reflection minimizing coating on navigation screen (a Honda first)
- Expanded VCM engagement range for improved overall fuel efficiency (a Honda first). There’s more talk about VCM below.
- Active Sound Control for cancellation of certain types of engine noise (a Honda brand first)
One thing that stands out about the Crosstour is its interior space. This is not a big looking vehicle from the outside, even with its 196.8-inch length, but it is roomy inside. There was no discomfort in either the front or rear seats. This vehicle should comfortably carry five adults, if need be. Headroom is good, while legroom is a little bit less than the Accord sedan.
Speaking of space, Honda has done some interesting things with the cargo space. On the inside walls, there are easy-to-flip switches that fold the rear-seats flat and create 51.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Additional cargo space is available with an 8.4-inch deep under-floor removable utility box. As Honda points out, it’s a great space for wet or dirty items.Larger wet and dirty items can be stored topside without destroying your carpet. The carpeted lid of the cargo box can be flipped over to the plastic side to preserve your carpeting.
If you are a by-the-numbers type, the rear cargo area measures 41.7 inches long by 55.7 inches wide (at widest point). Maximum cargo length measures 75.5 inches (for items just more than six feet long) with the rear seats reclined. The Accord Crosstour EX-L model is equipped with a cargo cover that allows for valuables to be stored out-of-sight. The cover is specially designed to open and shut in tandem with the tailgate for convenient one-motion access to the cargo area.
The fuel numbers are strong on the Crosstour thanks to variable cylinder management (VCM). Up to half of the Crosstour’s 3.5-liter engine’s cylinders can be deactivated when less demand is being placed on the engine (such as during highway cruising). Step on the gas and the cylinders spring back to life in a nanosecond.
During a day of driving north from New York City to upstate New York, the Crosstour demonstrated appropriate power. Its engine puts out 271 horsepower at 6,200 RPM and 254 lb-ft. of torque at 5,000 RPM. Those high RPM numbers for horsepower and torque mean you’re not going to snap your head back with strong acceleration. Then again, this is Honda, and I can think of only two Hondas that might ever snap your head back.
New Englanders like us should embrace the Crosstour because it comes with available all-wheel drive. That should make it fairly bullet-proof for New England winters.
Pricing for the Crosstour starts at $29,670 for the base model with two-wheel drive. You’re going to have spend $34,020 for a base model with all-wheel drive. The pricetag tops out at $36,220 (not including a $710 destination charge) for a Crosstour with all-wheel drive and a navigation system.
(Questions and comments about this review and other automotive concerns can be e-mailed to keith@internetcarandtruckoftheyear.com. All queries are answered.)
VITAL STATISTICS
- Wheelbase: 110.1 inches
- Length: 196.8 inches
- Width: 74.7 inches
- Height: 65.7 inches
- Curb weight: lbs.
- Engine: 3.5-liter, V6
- Horsepower: 271
- Torque: 254 lb. ft. @ 5000 rpm
- EPA estimated mpg city/highway: 18/27
- Base price: $29,970
- Also consider: (a comparative vehicle) Toyota Venza, Nissan Murano, Ford Edge
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